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(No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1. N. S. CHAPMAN.

ELECTRIC RAILROAD SIGNAL ALARM.

N0. 453,578. Patented June 2,1891.

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. N. s. CHAPMAN.

ELEGTRIG'RAILROAD SIGNAL ALARM. No. 453,578. PatentedJune 2,1891.

MJHEESEE f wMwmw UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NEIVTON S. CHAPMAN, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONEJIALF TO FRANK I-IAGERMAN, OF SAME PLACE.

ELECTRIC RAILROAD-SIGNAL ALARM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 453,578, dated June 2, 1891.

Application filed February 18 1891. Serial No. 381,826. (No model.)

T at whom it may concern: accumulate from the circuit-wires. Directly Be it known that I, NEWTON S. CHAPMAN, behind these plows are brushes G, made of a citizen of the United States, residing at any suitable materiahwhich are non-conduct- Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and ors of electricity. These brushes remove all 5 State of Missouri, have invented certain new the remaining snow and ice from the circuitand useful Improvements in Electric Railwires, leaving them free to contact with the road-Signal Alarms, of which the following metallic brushes D. Said brushes D are rigis a full, clear, and exact description, referidly secured to the segmental rods (Z, which ones being had to the accompanying drawhave their foremost ends secured to the lugs [O ings, forming a part hereof. c by suitable bolts. The opposite ends of My invention relates to improvements in the segmental bars dare perforated and fit electrical railroad-signal alarms, its objects loosely over pins f, and are made adjustable being, first, to provide a means whereby an by means of the coil-springs F. Said pins f alarm may be given when two trains are goare rigidly secured to the lugs f.

I 5 ing in opposite directions on the same track; E are plows similar to the ones heretofore second, to notify the engineer of an open described, but operating in the reverse direcswitch; third, to provide a means whereby the tion, so as to clear the circuit-line from obengineer may test the batteries, &c., on his structions when the locomotive is being run engine by dropping a set of brushes 011 the backward.

2o circuit-wire, thereby formingacircuit; fourth, II is the wire which conducts the electrical to provide a metallic brush which will adjust current from the battery to to the brushes D, itself to the circuitwircs, thereby overcomand from thence to the circuit-wires N. ing the wear and tear necessarily caused by I are plates secured to a horizontal bar '23, the rocking of the engine. These ends I atto which are secured the testing-brushes I,

2 5 tain by employing the mechanism and devices said testing-brushes being constructed subillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in stantially as those heretofore described. which= K are swinging braces, which are secured Figure I is a side elevation of an engine to the yoke of the engine, by which the test- So having my invention applied thereto. Fig. ing-brushing I are suspended. Said brushes 30 II is a detail perspective of the metallic cir- I are secured to the plates I in a manner cuit-brushes, cleaning-brush, and plow sesimilar to those already described, and the cured to a frame or plate. Fig. III is a side bar 7), which connects the brushes, is hinged view of same attached to the heel of the pilot. at its center to a suspending lever J, whose 8 5 Fig. IV is a detail in perspective of the testupper end is fulcrumed to a triangular arm j,

3 5 ing-brushcs, showing the levers by which they which in turn is fulcrumed to a lever J, this are operated. Fig. V represents a portion of being operated by hand-lever J the cab, showing the location of the signal- These levers, brushes, &c.,providea means alarm bell. Fig. VI is a plan view of a railwhereby the batteries may be tested at any road-track, showing the manner in which my time and while the train is in motion, this 40 invention may be applied to crossings, being done by throwing lever J thereby switches, side tracks, &c., and Fig. VII is a bringing brushes 1 in contact with circuitdetail in perspective of the spool, around line which completes the electrical circuit. which the circuit-wire is secured. L represents the alarm-bell, which may be Referring to the drawings by letter, A replocated at any convenient place in the cab.

45 resents a locomotive engine and cab of the Said bell is sounded by the armature Z being ordinary c0nstruction,which is provided with attracted by the magnets, thereby bringing a pilot B. To the heels of said pilot are the hammer against the same, as in ordinary properly secured plates or frames 0, which cases. H represents a telephone, which may we are braced thereto by means of the brace-rods be provided with my invention, if desired.

50 c. Rigidly secured to said plates 0 are plows N are the circuit-wires of the main track,

E, which are for the purpose of removing which convey the electrical current from one snow, ice, and other obstructions which may engine to another on the same track, said wires being secured along the side of the rails by means of the non-conducting spools O, which are secured to the ties by suit-able spikes 0, these being placed at suitable intervals along the track.

I is a switch-lever, operated by hand-lever 19, by means of which the switch may be brought in coincidence with the side tracks S and S. Suitably secured to the switch-lever P is a bar Q, which is fulcrumed at its opposite end. This bar is provided with a copper plate g, which is properly secured thereto. This contacts with the contact points 7' and r when the switch is open, thereby allowing the current to pass from circuit-wire N through contact q to contact 1* or r, as the case may be, and back along the wire a to the circuit-wire N, and through this wire it is carried back to the batteries, energizing the magnet and sounding the alarm.

The metallic brushes D are insulated from the plate or frame O and the segmental bars (1, so that none of the current is wasted. The contact-point g on the arm Qis also insulated from said arm for the same purpose. It is obvvious'that the circuit-wire may be carried upon the same section of circuit-wires a cir-' cuit is formed between the two engines, the current passing to the brushes through the conducting-wires H, then to the circuit-wires at the sides of the rails, and when the circuit is completed the armatures which operate the bells on both engines are attracted by the magnets, thus notifying both engineers at the same instant that a train is approaching from an opposite direction on the same track, or of an open switch.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as being new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an electric railroad-signal alarm, the combination of a series of locomotive-engines, each provided with an electric generator, alarm, insulated metallic brushes, and testing-brushes suspended from the yoke of the engine, which are operated by suitable arms and levers, for the purposes and substantially as set forth and described.

2. In an electric signal-alarm for railroads, the testing-brushes I, hung on suitable plates and bars, suspended and operated by rods and levers, substantially as and for the purposes set forth and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

NEW'TON S. CHAPMAN.

Witnesses:

W. A. SIMMoNs, J. K. LATHY. 

